Hydraulic power plant.



@Vil/nemo W. W. TEFFT.

HYDRAULIVC'PDWER PLANT.

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W. W. TiFFT.

HYDRAULIC POWER PLANT.

APPucmon mso rea. s. uns,

1,281,706. Patented 01m15.191s.

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I (invento:

WILLIAM W. TEFFT, 0F JACKSON, MICHIGAN.

HYDRAULIC rowEn PLANT.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 15, 1918.

Application led February 6, 1915. Serial No. 6,454.

To all whom t may concern Be it known that I, WILLIAM W. 'lnrr'igV a citizen Vof the United States of America, residing at Jackson7 in the county of Jackson and State Vof Michigan, have invented certain new 'and' useful Improvements in Hydraulic Power Plants, of Ywhich the following is a speciiication, reference being'hsd therein to the accompanying drawings.

The invention relates to hydraulic power plants, and the primary object of the invention is economy in construction. lt is a further object to obtain greater eciency, and to avoid destructive actionnnponrthe channel banks or any disturbance in the regulation ofthe power generators through variations of the water supply.

inthe present state of the art, hydraulic. power plants are usually constructed as a Ortion of the darn which retains the wateread. lt is also usual to build adjacent to the power plant a spillway through which the surplus water is discharged. Both the power plant and the spillway involve expensive construction usually of concrete.` while the remaining portions of the dam are less costly Yand can be constructed largely o earth work. In addition to the cost of the dam it has been found necessary to protect the river bed and Vbanks roin'the erosive action of the discharged water. Particularly it is necessary to check the velocity of the spill-water, which necessitates the construction of a relatively long protecting channel, usually of concrete construction. Thus a very large factor is the cost of the work below the dam.

With my improved construction the cost is greatly reduced,-frst, by dispensing with a spillway and disposing of the waste-water within the'area occupied by the power plant, thereby reducing the width of the concrete portion of the dans; second', by vdisclfiarging the waste-water beneath the surface of the water below the dam its velocity is quickly checked, so that a great deal of the expensive concrete construction may be dispensed with; and third. bym-ranging the dischar e of the waste-Water in certain relation to t e draft tubes from the power plant. l produce in effect anincrease in the water-head withont disturbing the regulation ofY the power generators.VVVV Y In thedrawzingsa-ff iff "e 'Y Y Y Y Figure Al'isa vertical longitudinal section through-inygimprovedpower plant; Y Y

Fig. 2 is a plan view thereof; Fig. 3 is a cross section; and

Figs.Y 4 and 5 are views similar to views 1Y and 2 showing a modified construction.

Vil. is vthe portion of the dam upon which the powerV lant is constructed and which is usually 0 concrete construction; B is the penstoclr, from which the water delivered to the turbine C; D is the generator room, and E the draft tubes through which the waterfrointhe turbines is discharged into the tail-race F; G are racks for preventing solid material from entering the penstock; and Yl-l are the controlling valves.

As has been stated, l dispense with the usual spillway and dispose of the waste water within the area of the power plant. It is, however, necessary to avoid: first, interference with Vother essential parts of the power plant; second, disturbance of the regulation of the generators; and third, destructive action of the liberated waste upon the river and channel banks. The Vfirst of these l obtain Qby conducting Vthe wastewater downward through conduits l formed in the. concrete structure. passing,l adjacent to but preferably independent of the'draft tubes from the turbine. These conduit-s, together with the draft tubes, Vopen into the tail-racerortumble-bay, while the upper end ofthe conduits is located adjacent to the bottom of the channel for the headewater and where protected by the racks G. Valves ,l are arranged to control the discharge through these waste-Ways. which may be opened whenever it is desired to drain the heads or in times of flood, the passages being Yfree and unobstructed when the valves are opened. l Y

To avoid destructive action of the discharge water it is necessary to check its velocity. which. where the head is high, 1s 'very great.' This l accom lish by constructing aV tail-race or tumble-V ay haring a core or apron of concrete and containing a sufficient volume of water to absorb or check the velocity of the waste. VVThis effect 1s aided by forming in said tail-race ontulnblehav an obstruction wall K, which is in direct lirie withtlre waste tubes and is below the surface of the water in the race. The effeet of this obstruction is to check any cnrrent from the waste tubes which tends to out its way through the water in the race, deflection; said current backward andV distributing the force throughout a largo water body to impart a substantially uniform velocity to all portions thereof.

Disturbance of the regulation of the power generators is avoided by discharging," the waste-water as above described independent of thc draft tubes from the tln'- bincs. This may be accomplished as shown in Fig. il, by placing the conduits I in the division walls L, which separate the draft tubes from each other. These conduits I are also placed with their discharge ends lower than the discharge ends of the draft tubes, so that there will be a relatively large body of water above the same to check the velocity. No disturbance in the regulation is produced, as the Waste-tubes do not directly enter the draft tubes, but the momentum imparted to the entire mass of water in the tail-race will cause its more rapid discharge. which has the effect of increasing the head.

As shown in Fig. 2, the tail-race is of a gradually Haring forni. and by reason of the checking of the velocity the length of this race may be less than that required for a spillway. If desired, log chutes and fish chutes may be arranged at the side of the structure, as indicated at M and N, Fig. 2. My improved construction is also equally applicable to a ,'izontal and vertical type of turbine and generator, the horizontal construction being shown in Figs. 1 and 2. and the vertical in F igs`. 4 and 5.

What I claim asmy invention is I. In a hydraulic power plant, the coinbination with a dani section provided with a penstock and draft-tube for a hydraulic turbine, of a tail-race, and means for passing the waste water freely and unobstructedly through said dam section and delivering the same below the surface of the Water in said tail-race,

In a hydraulic power plant, the coinbination with a dam section provided with a penstock and draft-tube for the hydraulic turbine, of a tail-race adjacent to said dam section, and a free and unobstructed wasteway passing through said dam section, entering the same from below the surface of the headwater and discharging into said tail-race below the surface of the water therein. 1

3. In a hydraulic ower plant, the combination with a dam sect-ion provided with a penstock and draft-tube for the hydraulic turbine, of means for passing the waste Water through said dam section. entering the saine from below the surface of the headwater. a teil4-acc into which the water from said wasteway and draft-tube is discharged below the surface of the tail-race water, and means within said tailrace for checking the velocity of the waste water and communicating the momentum thereof to the mass of water Within the race.

i. In a hydraulic power plant. thcr combination with a daln section proi idcd Ywith a pens-teck. a draft-tube VI'or a hydraiditl tirbine and a waste-way for the surplus` water. of a tail-racc into which the water from said draft-tube and waste-way are discharged below the surface of the tail-racc water, having an apron, and means: in said tail-race for checking the discharge from said waste way and communicating the momentum thereof to the mass of water within the race.

5. In a hydraulic power plant, the combination with a dai-n section provided with a penstock, a plurality of drafttubes for the hydraulic turbines, of waste-ways passing through said section and discharging at a lower level than said draft-tubes, a tailrace into which the water from said drafttubes and Waste-ways is discharged. and means in the lower portion of said tailrace for delecting the water discharged from said waste-ways, to communicate the momentum thereof more uniformly to the mass of water within the race.

6. In a hydraulic power plant, a dam scction provided with a power-house having a hydraulic turbine therein, a penstock for supplying water to said turbine, a drafttube for the Water from said turbine passing beneath said power-house, and a free and unobstructed waste-way for the surplus water, also passing through said section and beneath said power-house.

7. In a hydraulic power plant, a dam section provided With a power-house having a hydraulic turbine therein, a penstock for supplying water to said turbine, a drafttube for the Water from said turbine passing beneath said power-house. a free and unobstructed waste-Way for the surplus water passing through said section, enteringr the same from below the level of the headwater and also passing beneath the powerhouse independent of said draft-tube, and a common tail-race into which said draft-tube and waste-way discharge.

8. In a hydraulic power plant, a dam scction provided with a power-house having a plurality of hydraulic turbines therein, separate draft-tubes for said turbines, and a free and unobstructed waste-way for the surplus water passing through said dam section beneath said power-house and hetween said draft-tubes.

9. In a hydraulic power plant, a dam section provided with a power-house and with water-ways for both the power and waste water, passing through said section and beneath the power-house, and valves separately controllm the power and waste water-ways accessib e from the powerhouse, each waste-Way being free and unobstructed when its valve is opened.

10. In a hydraulic power plant, the combination with a dam section provided with a lll() lll) penstock and draft-tube for the hydraulic tum thereof to the mass of water within the 10 turbine, o means for passing the Wastetail-race.

Water through said dem section, entering the A n teSt-imony whereof I ax my Signature same from below the Surfauce of the headin presence of two Witnesses.

water a tail-race into which the water from said vieste-Way and draft-tube is discharged WILLIAM W' TEFFT' below the surface of the tail-race water, and `Wtnesees:

means for checking the velocity of the J AMES P. BARRY,

Weste-water and communicating the momen- HENRI E. BOWMN.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for ve cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. G. 

